Features / Timeform / 15 April 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Timeform looks at two trainers who have made a fast start on the Flat..

"Travelling strongly up with the pace and powering away once meeting the rising ground, Retainer required only hands and heels from that point. Given that he has yet to fully fill his frame he is open to plenty of improvement, and he could well be heading to the Royal meeting."

Richard Hannon, the master two-year-old trainer, is certainly living up to his billing, boasting a phenomenal 71% strike rate with his juveniles so far this year (five wins from seven runs). He already looks to be building a strong squad for Royal Ascot, with two of his winners of particular interest. Retainer took a conditions race on the opening day of the Craven meeting at Newmarket that has been won by some smart types in the past, including last year, by his stablemate, Monsieur Chevalier. Travelling strongly up with the pace and powering away once meeting the rising ground, Retainer required only hands and heels from that point. Given that he has yet to fully fill his frame he is open to plenty of improvement, and he could well be heading to the Royal meeting. Zebedee was well backed to make a successful racecourse debut at Windsor on Monday and he duly obliged, shaken up by Richard Hughes to assert close home, he had come with a strong challenge on the bridle. He looks to have bags of improvement in him, and is another who may be Ascot-bound.

Historically, April has been a quiet month for Lambourn based Marcus Tregoning. In the previous four seasons, the yard had never recorded more than two winners in the period and the horses have often not begun to really fire until late summer. This year looks to be a different story, with three successes already from just seven runners in the past fortnight. The highlight came at Newmarket, with an impressive victory for Rumoush in a listed contest. She looks regally bred, being a half-sister to Group 1 winners Ghanaati and Mawatheeq and from the family of Nashwan, and she potentially looks up to that class, putting herself firmly in the Classic picture. Rumoush seemed to do everything with ease; away sluggishly, she was soon on top when quickening to the front a furlong from home. There were signs of greenness, but Richard Hills never had to get too serious and given that ante-post Oaks favourite Timepiece was four lengths behind seems to give the form a solid look. Heddwyn made a successful racecourse debut in what could turn out to be a strong maiden, given the amount of potential improvers in the field. Hard to fancy on paper, he produced a strong finishing burst to take control of the race close home, and he looks one to note if entering the handicap sphere.

Tags: Marcus Tregoning, Richard Hannon